Kota Kinabalu: The new Sabah Water Department Director is looking forward to nurturing a new work culture to ensure that the department will work not just as a team but as a family."We work as a family. My door is always open. You can call me bro, you can call me Amar and you can even call me bossku," Amarjit Singh said in his first meeting with staff of the department after the handing over of duties to him by his predecessor, Datuk Wilis Ansoi, here, Thursday.

Amarjit, who will assume the position from today (Friday), said he will try his best to carry out his duties and at the same time co-operate with the staff of the department to ensure smooth work process with the finest results.

He said the department is among the most lucrative and urged its staff not to be unduly worried or anxious over the target they have to achieve and instead take it as a motivation.

On the controversial comments regarding his appointment, Amarjit urged the staff to set them aside as he said it is wiser to think about what's coming next and prepping up to ensure that all future works and projects of the department could be carried out successfully.

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"Ignore all that has been said. I want you (staff) to forget what has happened. I am not interested in what has happened…I am a very forward-looking person.

"Like the English saying let bygone be bygone, I do not like to cry over spilt milk," he said.

"Saying such words is not a sign of arrogance or a boast but a motivation to others to ensure that whenever they face a problem they should not hang on but learn from it and move forward," he added.

He also said he started with the department as a meter reader and fully understands its roles, functions and rules.

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Meanwhile, Kemabong Assemblyman Jamawi Jaafar said the appointment of Amarjit, a Sabahan engineer, was appropriate as it is the State Government's aim to rehabilitate the department's image which has been stained by the huge corruption scandal back in 2016.

He said it is a normal process to appoint a new individual to repair the department's image and improve its performance.

"This appointment is not only based on seniority in the department but also be based on other factors such as experience in the private sector.

"The appointment was also discussed by the State Cabinet," he said, in a statement, Thursday.

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Jamawi said water supply has been the main issue in most districts in Sabah and the people are waiting for results and proactive steps to be taken by the new Government and so this drastic move needs to be done.

"Amarjit was also appointed to restore transparency in the department that suffered losses and among its main tasks is to ensure that water-related issues in Sabah can be addressed comprehensively." - Jeremy S Zabala